Lingayen was never part of my travel plans for this year. But at the very last minute, I decided to visit Lingayen since it is just around 30 minutes away from Dagupan.
Upon arrival, Mica and I checked in at The President’s Hotel. We stayed at the hotel for night. It was conveniently located very near the provincial capitol. Just a short walk away.
From the hotel, we took a leisurely walk going to the capitol and checked out its interior. I was floored at its beauty and grandeur. All the while I thought the provincial capitol of my home province Negros Occidental was the best looking government building already. But I was wrong. Pangasinan’s seat of Provincial Government is the best one for me. I love the every details of the building.
The President’s Hotel
From the capitol we then went to the Sison Auditorium for the Salvador Bernal exhibit mounted by the Culturl Center of the Philippines. Salvador Bernal or Badong to his friends is a national artist for theater and production design. Born in Dagupan, he lived his life creating memorable stage designs that has made a lasting impact on its audiences.
During the exhibit, various costumes he designed were displayed as well as the scale model of his stage designs. It was so fabulous. He is truly a legend in his field. Can you still rmember the classic film Oro Plata Mata? Yeah, he was the production designer of that film.
And the Sison Auditorium is a masterpiece in itself. It used to be an indoor basketball court, but just a few years recently the government decided to reinvent the whole structure to make it more useful. Thus they converted it into an auditorium. An hall that can fit over a thousand crowd, with really good acoustic for the sound and the wood parquet flooring that I truly love which is perfect for dancing. And the crowning jewel of the auditorium? A large chandelier made of Swarovski crystals hanging from the ceiling. Oh God. I want to take home the chandelier! It is just so pretty!
From the auditorium e took a walk going to the beach. This is one of my favorite part. Large open space with the sea breeze blowing your hair waiting for the sun to set. it’s priceless. I was just watching the locals walk along the beach, enjoying the moment, while some jog along the cemented path. For the hungry souls there were a number of food stalls just a stone’s throw away from the beach.
By sundown, we had dinner. As usual, I had bangus. But this time I ordered the grilled bangus stuffed with tomatoes and onions on its belly. Sarap!
By night time, we went to Antonino Café for caffeine fix. The coffee shop is located very near the Lingayen Cathedral. Surprisingly, their coffee is good! Later I learned from the owner they he used to work in a popular coffee shop in Dagupan before he put up his own business. They really made sure that their coffee beans are up excellent quality.
This is just the first day of my trip to Lingayen. Watch out for the second part of this series where I got to explore the secrets of the town.
